WINNIPEG – The wild west didn't disappoint on Saturday afternoon at Princess Auto Stadium. Down 28-3 at halftime, the UBC Thunderbirds scored on four straight second half drives, taking a 31-28 lead with 5:55 to play, but Manitoba responded in the final two minutes, coming from behind to steal the win, 35-31 on a two-yard Jackson Tachinski rushing touchdown.  
 
The victory improves Manitoba's record to 3-3, while UBC fell to 2-4. Manitoba is currently in a playoff position entering the thanksgiving break, and are 3-0 at home this year, undefeated at Princess Auto against UBC in their last four games.
 
"We won the game at least, and we gave ourselves a chance," said Bisons head coach Stan Pierre, who delivered a passionate post-game speech to his team about playing a full four quarters.
 
"The bye is next week, so that's another positive. We also were short-handed. We don't have the type of depth to go six or seven or eight guys deep in the secondary and not expect to have some hiccups with guys who haven't played before. That was also part of it too. The message, is [the team] has to be assignment sound and do what their told on every play for the entire game. At this level to lose focus in a game like that, when it's a head to head opponent that we've played twice, is really inexcusable. Give [UBC] credit, they came out like gang busters, but we did a lot of bad things in that second half and really didn't do much."
 
Drew Viotto had the game of his life for UBC. He ended the contest throwing for 473 yards and three scores, finishing with the third-most passing yards in a game for the program. Most of his damage was done in the second half, as the T-Birds completely abandoned the run, throwing the rock 42 times overall, compared to just 11 rushes.
 
Viotto threw two majors to Trey Montour, who finished the game with eight grabs for 128 yards, including UBC's final score of the day from 13 yards out. One play prior, he made a highlight-reel grab, going airborne over a Bisons defensive back for a Randy Moss-esque reception for 35 yards.
 
Montour's first major on the drive prior was also insane. He somehow hauled in a contested ball with a Bison draped all over him, to the joy of the UBC sideline.
 
Shemar McBean was also credited with a touchdown reception early in the third quarter. Nic Pereira, who had six solo tackles (31 on the year, leads Canada West), forced the ball out of teammate Montour's hands, and it ended up in the mitts of Manitoba defensive lineman Kaleb Mackie-Mcleod, however McBean – who had 105 yards on the game – then stole the pigskin back for an impressive score.
 
UBC's other second half major – which kicked off the comeback – came on a two-yard Tolu Ayedegbe rushing score, set up by 59 yards on two grabs from rookie Colby Johnson, who had a career-high 121 yards overall.
 
"We had lots of times where we had brought pressure and it got home, and we didn't make the tackle. They extended plays," added Pierre.
 
"They have some really skilled guys back there, when you extend plays it becomes really difficult. It's tough to say totally without seeing the film."
 
But when it counted, Bisons quarterback Jackson Tachinski came up clutch, delivering his ninth career come from behind victory as QB1, despite being banged up.

With under six minutes to go, he drove the Herd 90 yards in eight plays, rushing for 35 yards overall, including his two-yard game-winning scamper for six.
 
Tachinski's rushing score was one of three on the day for the veteran, whose 21 career rushing majors set a record for most by a pivot in school history. He finished with 55 rushing yards on ten carries, along with 241 passing yards, going 16-for-21 overall, connecting with five different receivers.
 
"I tell these guys I'm willing to put everything on the field for them. My blood, sweat and tears, I'm willing to put that out on the field for them," Tachinski said.
 
"I have that belief in my team that when I put my body on the line for them, that they're going to step up. The belief in my teammates and my coaches, I don't really have another option than to try and be on the field with them."
 
The Herd's gunslinger connected with his favourite target Nathan Udoh twice on the game-winning drive for 53 yards, including a 43-yard dot in single coverage where Udoh made the grab despite heavy pass interference, setting Manitoba up at the two. Udoh finished with a game-high 111 yards on eight grabs, and is fifth in Canada West with 437 yards on the season. His 33 grabs rank fourth.
 
"We didn't try to get everything in one play. We were dinking and diming down the field. I saw Nathan get in a one-on-one scenario and I trust him a lot with the ball," noted Tachinski.
 
"I threw it up to him and I knew he'd make a play for us. That's the kind of player that he is. In big time moments he's going to make a play."
 
It was all Manitoba in the first half. The Bisons averaged just under six yards per carry and had 105 rushing yards after two quarters, with Tachinski scoring twice on the ground and Noah Anderson – who got the start at running back with Breydon Stubbs injured – also finding the end zone. He ran for 85 yards on 21 carries, with 60 of those yards coming in the first half.
 
But the T-Birds came out firing in the second half. They held Manitoba's run game in check, and used a heavy package with extra blockers up front to allow Viotto time to find his athletic play makers down field.
 
It looked like UBC was going to respond once more following Manitoba's late-game major, as they drove the ball to the Bisons 34 in just 57 seconds on five passing plays, however an unsung hero in defensive back Daniel Conway saved the game for Manitoba.
 
Sprung into action late in the contest with an injury to starter Maxwell Grieman, and with fellow starter Marcus Wahl also injured and not active, it was Conway who stole the ball away from Johnson in man coverage on the near sideline in an incredible effort in the final minute.
 
Johnson appeared to have the ball in his hands as he was going to the ground near the ten-yard line, but Conway ripped the ball out for his first career U SPORTS interception.
 
"I'm ready when my number is called. Late in the fourth quarter we were reeling a little bit. One of our best players in the secondary goes down, and hopefully he's okay, but I came into the game and the stars aligned," said Conway.
 
"The passing game was really going for them. We got the play call a little late. I came down, and we're in man coverage, and I lost my shade, so I knew the ball was probably coming. I had to make sure to get my head back. There it was. I had to make the play. Thank god. We needed it. That was a huge game. Now we're 3-3 and we're looking pretty good going into the bye week. It feels good."
 
Tachinski then connected with Mula Yitna for a key first down on second and ten with the Bisons backed up near their goal line, and the rest is history.
 
Both teams now go into the thanksgiving break, looking to heal up, as each side was missing key starters.